What are you guys using for OAK's

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Todd

Minister of Fire
Hearth Supporter
Nov 19, 2005
10,351
NW Wisconsin
I ordered an outside air adapter for my stove and I'm wondering what to use for the 4" pipe? Can you get away with aluminum dryer pipe, or should I look at something thicker like 4" pellet exhaust pipe?
 
Hi Todd,

I installed mine last summer. I asked Tom for advice after his great review of OAKs and how we should all have them. I bought 4 inch aluminum pipe at lowes. A moveable 90 for the stove, and then a straight shot trough the wall with a dryer end cap (minus the flap). I caulked around the outside pipe and inside and no problems.

The inside first ft of alum pipe does get cold (frost buildup) and can drip condensation.

Carpniels

PS. glad I did not order the 'special' Quadrafire OAK for $47. This cost me about $15.
 
I used 3 inch flex dryer vent. Flexy for ease of installation and routing. I had a few bends that the prefabbed elbows couldn't handle. My HS uses a 3" nipple for an excellent fit inside the 3" vent pipe. I went into the vented crawlspace beneath the stove so the air should always be about 50 degrees. No frost or condensation has been seen at all in my climate.

It doesn't get at all, always cold to the touch, and if by some chance it ever did get hot enough to fail it would either collapse on iteself killing the fire or it would open up a leak and use room air. No real risk either way. Mine even was flowing air due to the chimney effect before I even put the stove on it. I had to zip tie a bag on to plug it.

Supercharger!!
 

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Thanks guys. I think I'm going to need a 4" 90 degree off the adapter, then run flex down and around next to the wall, then up to the header above the basement sill plate. Total run of 18'. Wonder if there is a maximum run requirement?
 
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